Spring end connection



Feb. 7, 1933. F. J. BECHERT 1,896,878

SPRING END CONNECTION Filed Nov. 3, 1928 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS PatentedFeb. 7, 1933 UNITED STATE-S PATENT- OFFICE QI FIRED J. BEGHERT, EsTAMEORn, CONNECTICUT, As'sIeNOE To TH FAFNIR BEARING,

COMPANY, OF NEW BRI AIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTI UT f, 1

SPRING ENn CONNECTION V j Application filed November, 3, 1928. SerialNo. 316,908.

My invention relates to an antifriction bearing spring connection forconnect ng the sprlng and frame of a motor vehlcle.

. Among the objects of my invention are to;

.5 provide an antifriction spring connection,

which will facilitate assembly and disassembly of parts; which is simpleof construction,

' cheap to manufacture, and which may be readily assembled anddisassembled by relatively unskilled persons.

' Briefly stated, in the preferred form of the invention I provide aframe member having spaced apart aligned sockets or housing forantifriction bearings. These housings are divided transversely andpreferably along a diametrical plane of the circular sockets. The othermember to be connected to the frame member and usually the springisprovided with antifriction' bearing raceway means to be supported bythe antifriction bearing members in the spaced apart housings. Thedivided housing parts are suitably held together as by means of bolts,and when the housing parts are-separated the frame and spring may bereadily separated fromeach other.

In the drawing which shows, for illustrative purposes only, a preferredform of the invention- Fig. 1 is a top plan View of a springcon nectionillustrative of the invention;

Fig. 2 is aside view in elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end view in partial section of the parts shown in Figs. 1and 2.

In said drawing, 5 indicates what may be termed a frame member, whichwill ordinarily be rigidly secured to the main frame of a motor vehicle.It is to be understood,

however, that this frame member could be secured directly to the spring.The frame member 5 is provided with rigid and preferably integral bosses66 spaced apart from each other a distance sufficient to looselyaccommodate the width of the spring 7. The bearing bosses 6 areprovidedwith aligned preferably circular recesses as 8 for theaccommodation of antifriction bearings, as will be described. The bosses66 are divided transversely preferably along diametrical .ly securedtothespring andextending from.

by the dividing line 9. The bearing recesses 88 are formed preferablyhalf inthe in tegral portions of the bosses 6'-6 and halfin whatvineffect are bearing retaining caps 10 .10, which may be secured to theintegral; portions of the bosses 6 6 by any" suitable means such as thebolts 11-11. In the-particular form illustrated, the end walls ofthebosses 66 are provided with openings 12 -12, so as. to facilitatethemachining :of. the' internal surfaces of the bearings re.- cesses 8-8.The openings 12rare of a diameter less than the diameter. of thefrecess;8, so that circumferential lips as 13. are left, on the integralportions of the bosses 66 as well as uponthe cap members 10- 10.

The spring 7 is provided with bearing sup-' porting means such as a pinmember 14 rigidopposite sides thereof. Interposed between theantifriction bearing support 14 and the bearing housings areantifriction bearing members such as balls v 15-1 5. In the particularform illustrated, the pin 14, is provided-fat opposite ends withintegral- 7 ly'forrned bearing raceways 1616, and the coacting raceway,in this casethe outer race way, is formed inablosed cup 17, whichfits awithin thelbearing [housing 8. Suitable. means such as a dust ring 18servesto exclude dustfrom the bearings and to house lubricant; It willbe seen that the raceways on the pin, 14 and bearing cups17 areinclinedwhereby the antifriction bearingmembers such as the balls-15 take bothradial and end thrusts, and the entire weight transmitted through the,frame 5 isv carried by the balls themselves, and, since the pin 14 isrigidly secured to the spring 7, any end play is also takenby theantifriction bearing members, and there are substantially-no rubbingsurfaces, to wear and cause squeaks. p In the manufacture of the presentspring connection, it is desirable to space the race- Ways" 1616 adefinite distance apart, andto likewise space the bearing raceway mem:bers 17--17 a definite distance apart, so that when the parts are"assembled the antifriction bearingmembers 15 will have just thedesiredon the raceways. Thus, all parts Will be freely interchangeable, andthere are no adjustments to be made, and after the parts have, been onceaccurately manufactured, nothing" is left to the skill of theparticularmechanic'assembling the spring con-' nection, anda perfect fit isassured.

One of the principal advantages of the s r 16 present invention lies inthe easerof. assembly In assembling, the antifriction hearings inanddisasjsembly of the springconnection.

eluding the'antifriction bearing members 15 and the bearing racewaymembers 17, may be i 1 l assembled directly upon thepins 1 201 othermeans emplo yed, and then this subassembly thespring and antifrictionbearingsflcom plete ismoved transversely into. the positlon shown in thedrawing thatis, the bearing raceway imembers 17-7-17 are fitted into thehalf" hearings in the upper portion :Of the V V bosses 6- 6.'Thereafter,;the remaining per- V machining or finishing need be doneonthe ti'o'ns of the bosses *in the form of retaining assembly; of" thespring' connection "is very spring andifra'me separated. It is also to'be' noted 'that'very little fine bearing bosses 6, since these bosses-mere1 7 serve asretaining members f the antifrice tion bearings. Withan ac'curatecasting or a v forging (whenlforgmgs are used), llttle or nomachining will be required invtheb'ore'of the bearing-"housing 88. Ifthe; retaining lips 13-43, which determine the positioning in thepresent 'instance'of the bearing mem-V tance apartysome} machining maybeneces Y sary ffor properlyfspacing these retaining wallsb i? 7 hers 17'17,* are notth'e exact required dis-' Y considerable detail,-I do notwish to be'strictly limited to the form shown,since changes may be madeWithin the scope of the nvention as defined Within theappended claim, Iclaim: I

having spaced apart bosses thereon, each of v y r "'70 "Ina springconnection, a frame member said bosses having a half bearing recessrforreceiving a bearing raceway, cover cap means secured to said bosses andhaving half b'ear- "ing recesses complementary to the first iinentionedbearing recesses, a bearing raceway held between each pair ofcomplementary recesses, bearing raceway means interposed between saidfirst mentioned raceway s, ant

friction bearing members interposedbetween I each pair" of complementaryraceways, and

means at the outer endsof each of said hear? ing recesses includingmeanscarrled by said bosses and said cover cap means for support ing'theraceWays in said recesses againstout-f Ward displacement.

It will be seen that I have' 'provided a very simple and readilymanufactured spring' co'nv nection, which Will greatly facilitate assem-.bly and disassembly, and-a construction which r nonadjustable so astoir nder alllpartsl readily interchangeable.

- g In the particular embodiment illustrated, aframe member 5 "issecuredfto the main; frameof a vehicle, While I the antifriction bearingraceway'm'ember 14 is-carried-by the i spring. Obviously, the frame 5could be carried by the spring and the pin or. equivalent ldevice li'carried by the frame. In

' certain types-, of springs, such as so-callcd cantilever springs; oneend of the springis attached to the vehicle axle and'notito themain'frame of the vehicle. I therefore Wish. to: usetheflterm fframe ina broad sense to include such use' of the present invention,sinceobviously theinventionis not'dependa ent upon-securlng the end'jofthe spring to V jWhile the inventionfhas been d'escribed in the mainframe of the vehicle. i

FRED J.

